Elephant Stone—ASHA

This is one of those bands that's a kind of fusion of rock, pop and psychedelia, to name just a few of the genres that seem to find their way into the mix.

The album opens with "Here's Comes The Rising Sun" and starts with a lilting melody and calm, relaxed vocals. You can hear hints of a psychedelic sound, but it's more a subtle flavour than a full-on assault on the senses. The track has a slow build and is a perfect introduction to what's to come. About two thirds of the way in, the rockier side starts to push through, leading out with guitar and keyboards tripping out.

With a more rock sound, "Everything Evil" opens with driving guitar. The vocals, though, are in contrast, being much softer. It's kind of like a fusion of a heavy metal sound with the vocals of Inspiral Carpets, or perhaps the softer side of Oasis. At first, it's a noteworthy combination, but the two elements fuse together so well.

Leaning back into more psychedelic rock is "Fascists Killed Yer Rock'N' Roll", which is very trippy and heavy, with fuzz guitar and, I think, hints of dulcimer and indeed sitar. The vocals, though, keep it more grounded rather than going for a darker sound, although it does tend to veer in that direction towards the end of the track.

A hint of Indian influence opens "I Got A Pill", but it doesn't linger too long, transitioning into a much more radio-friendly track, which I think is also helped by the vocals. This is a more traditional rock song, but still has those hints of the 60s, especially in the keyboards and guitar. The Indian influence comes back in the lead-out, closing what I think is one of the strongest tracks on the album.

The next track, "Broken Arrow", feels more rooted in the 90s indie scene and, while enjoyable enough, feels much more conventional. It lacks the individuality of the preceding tracks and also that more trippy vibe, though there is a hint of it at times. Indeed, the last quarter of the track seems to do a U-turn and turns that dial up by several notches.

Things are dialled back with "A Beautiful Fate", which has a much slower, dreamier feel. It's pleasant, if not particularly remarkable, but does provide a nice pause for breath. I did enjoy the piano lead-out, accompanied by birdsong.

I think with "Parallel And Contrary Motion", for the first time the band ELO popped into my head and, indeed, thinking back, I think there's a lot of that feel throughout the album. It's more in the vocals and the production overall, but there was something in this song that reminded me of their track "Telephone". The last third of the track seems to again take a turn, becoming almost a dreamy interlude before dropping back into a slightly heavier sound.

When "Sleepwalking In Prague" started, I was immediately reminded of "Shipbuilding" by Robert Wyatt. It has that same nostalgic, intimate feel, and the vocals aren't a million miles away either. But whereas "Shipbuilding" is relatively stripped back, there's more going on here, with some additional layers and even a touch of George Harrison-esque guitar. It creates a similar sense of intimacy, but with a little more colour and texture.

The album closes with "Spirit, Take Me Away", which is the longest track on the album at a tad over seven minutes, although some of that may be something of a later surprise. The song starts with a very 80s indie sound and is the first track where I can remember hearing female vocals. They're a welcome addition to the mix and further enhance that 80s vibe. At first, on hearing the first minute or so, I thought this was going to be the first stop on a musical journey, but it's pretty much consistent throughout. Not that that's a bad thing, but it does feel markedly different in flavour from most of the other tracks.

Looking back on this review, I think dissecting the album on a track-by-track level may give the wrong impression, as it could hint at some kind of lack of focus. Indeed, there's a variety of influences and styles across the tracks, and I can think of a few that are my favourites, which I'm sure will differ from other people. But there is also something cohesive about the album as a whole.

And as I finish typing these words, I feel compelled to play the album all over again, turn off that critical side of my brain, and just enjoy it, as there is no doubt this a thoroughly good album.